A MAJOR hunt is on for two men after a shocking incident in Dublin city centre today, when a man was killed after he was apparently pushed under a double decker.

The victim, who was in his 20s, was decapitated and a number of eye witnesses including the bus driver were treated for shock.

The incident took place opposite Trinity College on Dublin’s Nassau Street during this evening's rush hour.

Witnesses say that there was a row between the victim and two other men which resulted in the appalling scene.

Gardai are investigating if the man was punched or pushed into the path of the bus.

He died at the scene opposite Trinity College in Dublin’s Nassau Street .

At the same time the number 145 bus had travelled down Dawson Street and was taking a left turn onto Nassau Street when the man fell into its path.

The man went under the front of the bus and was killed instantly when a wheel went over his head.

Detectives are now trying to track down the two men at the centre of the incident who disappeared after the death.

The tragedy was over in seconds and stunned the huge pre Christmas crowds milling through the area shortly at about 5.40pm.

Witnesses who were close to the scene were visibly traumatised by the appalling nature of the man’s death.

The driver of the Dublin Bus vehicle was also said to have been in a shocked state.

He had driven from Bray, Co Wicklow, on a busy route in rush hour traffic. He was heading towards Heuston station when in a flash the man ended up under his bus.

The driver managed to control the bus and it didn’t crash.

News about what happened quickly spread through the many shocked passengers on the bus as the alert about the incident went out.

Emergency services and gardai were quickly on the scene but there was nothing they could do.

They were faced with a scene of chaos. Traffic was diverted away from the area.

The area was cordoned off from the Nassau Street-Dawson Street junction.

A tent hiding the body was erected behind the bus which had passed over the man. Gardai also carried out an examination of the area around the road junction.

Officers interviewed witnesses, including the driver, but appealed to anyone who saw exactly what happened to contact them.

Motorists were urged to stay away from the area as the garda investigation intensified when it was realised they were not dealing with a routine road incident. Roads around the scene were closed as traffic built up.

A Dublin Bus investigation was also initiated.

Inspectors were sent to the scene.

A spokeswoman said they had a strict procedure for incidences involving buses. It included interviewing eye witnesses, trawling through cctv footage and checking out the scene of any incident.

Gardai are treating the death of man as suspicious but the investigation could be upgraded at a later stage.

Anyone with information should contact Pearse Street garda station on 6669000, he Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station